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(No Model.) .4 Sheets-Sheet .1.

P. W. COOK.

GANG EDGER.

No. 410,315. Patented Sept. 3,1889.

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(No Model.)

GANG EDGER.

P mtented Sept. 3, 1889.

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GANG EDGER.

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GANG EDGER.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

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UNITED STATES 5 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. COOK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO H. P. GREGORY & CO., OF SAME PLACE.

GANG-EDG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,315, dated September 3, 1889. I

Application filed December 28, 1888. Serial No. 294,866. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. OooK,

.edgers; and my invention consists in the constructions and combinations of devices which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my gang-edger. Fig. 2 is an end View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig.4 is a detail of thelever by which initial movement for shifting the saws is made. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the screw-operating nut. Fig. 6 is a view of the rack operating and locking mechanism. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the machine. Fig. 8 is a detail of locking-bar H. Fig. 9 is a detail of shaft F and locking-bar H.

A is the stand or frame of the machine.

B is the saw-arbor, mounted in boxes I) on each end of the frame and adapted to be driven by a belt leading to pulley b; I

C are the saws, each having a grooved collar c, by which it is mounted on the arbor, and is adapted to slide thereon in the usualmanner.

The means for shifting the saws, so as to adjust them to different distances with relation to each other, are as follows:

D are the shifters These consist of brackets or bars having a semicircularor concave center at d, fitted to and engaging the grooved collars c of the saws. These shifters are arranged transversely of the frame A, and their arms project to each side and are mounted upon and supported by fixed tracks a of the frame, on which said tracks they slide'back and forth in the direction of thelength of the machine. The arms of the shifters project beyond the fixed tracks a and are cbnnected with the racks E. These racks are wholly independent of each other, and are mounted in guides a on each side of the frame in parallel planes and extending parallel with the saw-shaft. There is one rack 011 each side neously a corresponding rack on each side i the shifter to which these racks are connected can be moved. on its tracks a back and forth, and thereby will shift or adjust its saw.

The racks are operated as follows: Mounted across one end of the frame is a shaft F,having on one end a crank-Wheel f, by which it may be rotated. It also carries near each end a pinion G-one for each side. These pinions are adapted to engage the racks E, and they are so located on the shaft that when one engages a rack on one side the other engages the corresponding rack on the other side, so that by rotating the shaft F that pair of racks will be moved and their saw will thus be shifted; but to adapt the pinions to engage another pair of racks, I mount the shaft F in such a manner that it may be moved longitudinally, thus carrying its pinions into engagement with any of the four pairs of racks, so as to shift and adjust each saw.

Though the shaft F may be moved longitndinally directly, I have here shown for effecting the result a bar H, which serves aprimary function, to be mentioned presently. This bar is mounted in the frame parallel with the shaft and is adapted to have a sliding movement longitudinally. It is connected at each end with the shaft by an arm h, and it has itsv movement imparted to it by means of a lever I, Figs. 1 and 4, which'is pivoted at i to one end of the frame. Upon the lever is a rack-segment 1 Fig. 4, which engages a rack h on the sliding bar H. A quadrant '8 fixes the lever in any position and regulates the extent of its movement. Now, by moving this lever the bar H can be moved longitudinally and impart a similar movement to shaft. F, thereby causing the latter to throw its pinions G into engagement with any of the pairs of racks E; but the bar H is made to serve the further and primary purpose of locking all the pairs of racks E but the one pair with which the pinions G then engage. The lower edge of each end of the bar H traverses and pair, when that pair can be moved.

It will be seen that each saw has its own shifting device and that the power is applied equally on both sides, thereby insuring accuracy of movement. One shaft effects the shifting of all the saws and I avoid thereby the separate cross-shafts for each saw, which are usually connected with the saw-collar and have a pinion traveling on a fixed rack. By my construction 1 effect the shifting of all the saws from one end of the machine and by means of one shaft, instead of having to move along the whole side of the machine and han dle several shafts.

The shifters D, mounted steadily on the tracks a and having the centers d engaging the saw-collars, form stable supports for the saws independent of the arbor B. Consequently said arbor may be released from its boxes and drawn out wholly or partially from all the saws, leaving the latter temporarily supported in the shifters. Any saw may then be removed and another replaced and the arbor passed through them again.

In the top of frame A is the shaft J, on which the frames K, which carry the pressure or upper feed rollers L, are hinged. M are the lower feed-rollers.

In the ordinary gang-edgers there is one frame K and one pressure-roller L on each side of the machine. A difficulty is found in this construction, which arises from the length of the roller overlapping and imposing unequal weight upon one edge of a board fed in at one end, causing a binding and a conse quent deflection in the line of travel of said board. This difficulty has been partially overcome by dividing the pressure-rollers and their frames into two on each side, as I have here shown, Fig. 3; but to fully overcome it I attach to the adjacent edges of each pair of frames K the arms N. These arms project over the adjacent frame, and each has a bearing on the other frame at a point beyond its central plane. Now, when a board is fed in under the pressure-roller near one end the overlapping weight of the frame is not imposed upon its edge, as the weight of the adjacent frame is transferred through its arm N to the first frame beyond its center, so that it equalizes pressure and avoids the difficulty mentioned. Thus the frames K, though separate, are adjustably connected, and neither can impose undue pressure on any part of the board fed under its roller.

In order to lift or lower the pressure-rollers thicknesses of boards.

and adjust them for diiferent thicknesses of boards, my invention contemplates the accomplishment of the result by power trans: mitted from the machine itself and by mechanism which will effect the object with accuracy and steadiness, being under perfect control.

Mounted above the frame A is a shaft 0, which is adapted to have a longitudinal movement in its bearings, being thus moved by a lever P, which rocks a shaft 19, carrying a clutch p, engaging said shaft 0.

Rotation is imparted to the shaft 0 by a belt Q, which extends from a pulley g on the saw-arbor to a pulley g on the shaft.

R is a counter-shaft at right angles to shaft 0, and 0' is a friction-gear on said countershaft.

Upon shaft 0 are the friction-pinions 0, one on each side of the friction-gear r and adapted to engage therewith alternately. \Vhen neither pinion is in engagement, the shaft 0 rotates without imparting rotation to shaft B. When shaft 0 is moved longitudinally in one direction, so as to throw onc'of its pinions 0 into engagement with gear 4', the shaft R is rotated in one direction, and when the shaft 0 is moved in the opposite direction to throw its other pinion 0 into engagement with gear r the shaft R is rotated in the other direction.

In a fixed boxing S is mounted vertically and adapted to be rotated a nut T, having upon its top a beveled pinion t,which meshes with a beveled pinion 7" on the counter-shaft R. Thus the nut can be rotated in either direction.

Seated in the nut is a screw U, forming a hanger and having an eye u at its lower end. A feather or spline s 011 the box S enters a groove 11/ in the screw and prevents it from turning with the nut.

V is a chain secured to the eye a of the screw and having forks 1; extending down to and connected with the frames K of the pressure-rollers L. As these frames are practi cally connected in pairs by the arms N, I need but two forks of the chain V, one to connect with one frame of each pair.

The operation of this mechanism is obvious. By moving the lever P, so as to move the shaft 0, one or the other of its pinions 0 is thrown into engagement with one side or the other of gear r, thereby rotating shaft R and nut T in either direction, and raising or lowering screw U, which raises or lowers the pressure rollers to accommodate them to different This operation is performed by power transmit-ted from the machine, and the result is effected with accuracy IIO and steadiness, especially the lowering opera- 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a gang-edger, and in combination with the saw-arbor and the independent saws movable thereon, the transversely-disposed brackets or shifter-bars, each engaging at its middle the collar of one of the saws, the series of independent movable racks attached to each end of the brackets or shifter-bars, and a rotary sliding shaft mounted transversely of the machine and carrying a pinion on each side, adapted by the sliding movement of the shaft to be thrown into gear with different racks of the series, whereby the saws may be independently shifted on the arbor, substantially as herein described.

2. In a gang-edger, and in combination with the saw-arbor and the independent saws movable thereon, the transversely-disposed brackets or shifter-bars, each engaging at its middle the collar of one of the saws, the series of independent movable racks attached to each end of the brackets or shifter-bars, the rotary sliding shaft having a pinion on each side, adapted by the sliding movement of the shaft to be thrown into gear with different racks of the series to shift their saws, the sliding bar connected with the shaft, and a lever for moving the bar to slide the shaft, substantially as herein described.

3. In a gang-edger, and in combination with the saw-arbor and the independent saws movable thereon, the transversely-disposed brackets or shifter-bars, each engaging at its middle the collar of one of the saws, the series of independent movable racks attached to each end of the brackets or shifter-bars, the rotary sliding shaft having a pinion on each side adapted by the sliding movement of the shaft to be thrown into gear with different racks of the series to shift their saws, the sliding bar connected with the shaft and having a rack, the pivoted lever having a seg' mental gear engaging the rack for moving the bar and shaft, and the quadrant for controlling the lever,'substantially as herein described.

4. In a gang-edger, and in combination with a saw-arbor and a saw movable thereon, a

transVersely-disposed bracket or shifter-bar engaging the saw-collar, a movable rack on each side attached to each end of the shifterbar, a rotary shaft having pinions engaging the racks for moving them, and a sliding bar adapted by its movement to engage and relieve the teeth of the racks, whereby they are locked and released, substantially as hereindescribed.

5. In a gang-edger, and in combination with the saw-arbor and the independent saws movable thereon, the transversely-disposed brackets or shifter-bars, each engaging the collar of one of the saws, the series of independent movable racks attached to each end of the brackets or shifter-bars, the rotary sliding shaft having a pinion on each side, adapted by the sliding movement'of the shaft to be thrown into gear with different racks of the series to shift their saws, and the sliding bar engaging the teeth of the racks and locking them and grooves or ways in the bar in line with the pinions of the shaft to permit the movement of those racks engaged by the pinion, substantially as herein described.

6. In a gang-edger, and in combination with the saw-arbor and the independent saws movable thereon, the transversely-disposed brackets or shifter-bars, each engaging the collar of one of the saws and mounted and adapted to slide on fixed tracks in the frame of the machine, the series of independent movable racks attached to each end of the brackets or shifter-bars, the rotary sliding shaft having on each side a pinion adapted by the sliding movement of the shaft to be thrown into gear with difierent racks of the series to shift their saws, the sliding bar connected with and adapted to move the shaft, said bar engaging the teeth of the racks and having grooves or ways in line with the pinions of the shaft, and a lever and intermediate connections for moving the sliding bar, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. a

FREDERICK W. COOK.

Witnesses:

S. H. N OURSE, H. 0. LEE. 

